The Eastern Market Indicator was quoted higher after each day of wool sales, gaining two, nine and 19 cents respectively to close at 876 cents.

Newcastle hosted sales last week, beginning on Tuesday. The majority of wools offered were 22-micron and finer, with these categories quoted generally firm or unchanged.

Wednesday’s sale saw similar gains across most micron categories offered, with the 16.5 and 7.5-micron categories the exceptions (quoted 14 cents softer and unchanged respectively). The NMI gained five cents during both days, then a further 25 cents on Thursday, closing at 900 cents. Thursday’s sale saw fine micron categories gain generally between 15 and 30 cents, with medium micron categories the standouts gaining between 37 and 51 cents.

Wool sales in the south on Wednesday saw the SMI gain 12 cents to 841 cents. Medium micron categories gained 15 to 20 cents, while the majority of other micron categories were five to 10 cents firmer.

Thursday’s sale was also positive, with fine to broad wools lifting generally 10 to 30 cents. Coarse micron ranges were quoted soft to unchanged. The SMI gained a further 15 cents, closing the week at 856 cents.

Wednesday’s Fremantle wool auctions saw the market in the west lift by 10 to 42 cents across the 18.5 to 24-micron categories offered. The WMI was quoted up 29 cents to 864 cents.

Major auction buyers for the week were ABB Wool Export (6061 bales), Techwool Trading (4706 bales) and Queensland Cotton (3758 bales).